Massage device



w. M. CHADWICK.

MASSAGE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.12, I917.

1,343Q43g, Patented June 15, 1920 V v 'IAIVEI'VTOR: 2:253. 1% 3g 2 4.

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WILLIAM MART ILLO GHADWICK, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOM.A.

MASSAGE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15,

Application filed October 12, 1917. Serial No. 196,106.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MARTILLO CHADWIQK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have in- Fig. 4c is an end view showing the device in use.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

The device, in its simpler form, consists of a cylindrical body of wood or other suitable material, which is adapted to be rolled 2n the floor or other suitable support by the cot.

The invention may also include the en-" v erally-tapered form of body 5 shown in ig. 2, but in order that the device shall roll in a substantially straight line as a matter of convenience it ,is possibly preferable that it be of cylindrical formas shown in Fig. 1. In use, the body 5 is laid on the floor or other suitable support and rolled by contact with the surface of the foot which is to be massaged, the foot being borne down against the device with suflicient force by the patient himself to have the device produce the proper massaging effect in rolling over the surface of the foot- In further carrying out the object of the invention, the diameter of the central portion of the body 5 is reduced by cutting circumferentially around said portion a wide groove 6 to receive the foot of the patient.

- Within the meaning and intent of the invention, this groove 6 may be of any form best adapted to receive the foot, but in this instance and for reasons later described the groove in the simple form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is Substantially V-shaped; one side,

7, of the groove being nearly at right. angles to the axis-line AA of the body 5 while the other side, 8, is much more nearly parallel with said axis-line.

With the device formed in this way, the sole surface of the foot may be rested on the more level side 8 of the groove 6 without tendency to slide the foot too' forcibly toward or against the other side 7; yet the groove thus formed will have the slight effect of crowding the foot together just enough to prevent injurious spreading during the massaging treatment.

It will be noted that while the end portions of the body 5 are of substantially equal diameter in its preferred form and will therefore cause the device to roll in a straight line, the side 8 of the groove 5 on which the greater surface and weightof the foot rests is the surface of a cone; therefore, when the device is being rolled on the floor by forced contact of the foot in said groove the foot will be turned in a horizontal plane in a manner to slightly twist the patients ankle,

or there will be sliding contact between aportion of said side '8 and a portion of thecontacting surface of the foot. I

The patient, then, by resisting twisting movement imparted to the ankle and holding the foot parallel with the straight line of rolling movement given the device, may not only have the benefit of the rolling contact of the device on the foot for massaging purposes, but may also have the benefit of the sliding contact above described and thus produce a slight frictional heating effect.

Since sharp angles at the bottom of the groove 6 and between its side 7 and 8 and the general cylindrical surface of the body section contour of the foot, as shown in Fig. 3.

The following is claimed 1. A foot massaging device comprising a free and independent substantially cylindrical body adapted to roll on a flat surface and having an annular substantially V- shaped groove extending circumferentially around the same to receive the foot, one of the sides of the V-shaoed groove forming a sharper angle with the axis of the body than the other side 5 are not necessary, the groove may be I formed to more nearly conform to the cross- 2. A foot massaging device comprisin a for the support of the foot and the side of free and independent substantially cylin rithe groove at the lower end of the inclined cal body adapted to roll on a flat surface base thereof being at a sharp angle-to the 10 and provided with a circumferential groove axis of the body.

5 extending around its middle portion to re- Witness my hand this 8 day of October,

ceive the foot, the base of the groove being 1917. inclined to provide a frusto-conical surface WILLIAM MARTILLO GHADWIGK. 

